EUCLID, Ohio -- Mitt Romney returned to the Cleveland area Monday pushing the same economic themes he has been for months against President Barack Obama on the campaign trail.

So it was up to his warm-up act and supporters in the audience to add the element of surprise. And did they ever.

At a town hall meeting the presumptive Republican presidential nominee held at Euclid's Stamco Industries, a top Romney surrogate said Obama did not deserve credit for the takedown of Osama bin Laden. Later, a woman argued that the president deserved to be tried for treason -- a statement Romney let pass without comment until pressed afterward by reporters.

The awkward moments of vitriol came during Romney's third trip to Ohio in less than three weeks. Polls show a close race between the former Massachusetts governor and Obama, who officially launched his re-election bid Saturday with a rally in Columbus. The Buckeye State, with 18 electoral votes, remains a fiercely coveted prize this November.

A crowd of about 14,000 turned out for Obama's event at an Ohio State University arena, though Republicans characterized the several thousand empty seats as a sign of waning enthusiasm for the Democratic incumbent. The factory floor at Stamco could not accommodate nearly as many; a Romney spokesman estimated that more than 800 attended.

Before Romney took the stage for his 45-minute forum, a trio of state and local GOP officials -- Cuyahoga County Chairman Rob Frost, Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby and Ohio Auditor Dave Yost -- offered brief introductory words.

But no words were more explosive than those from Yost, a co-chairman of Romney's Ohio leadership team who said that giving Obama credit for terrorist leader bin Laden's capture and killing "would be like giving Ronald McDonald credit for the Big Mac you ate for lunch." It's the guy working the grill who deserves the credit, Yost theorized, not the pitchman on TV.

"I'm glad that he is dead," Yost said. "bin Laden, that is."

Yost also attempted an impression of Obama by mimicking the president's deliberate cadence. He ridiculed Obama for his performance on the economy and for taking vacations that Yost said middle-class families cannot afford.

Romney made a friendly reference to Yost in his speech, but a campaign spokesman would not comment after the event on the state auditor's remarks. In the past, Romney has said Obama deserves credit for last year's bin Laden operation.

The audience applauded during a question-and-answer session when a woman accused Obama of subverting the Constitution and said he should be tried for treason. Romney did not voice agreement or disagreement, sticking instead to talking points.

Romney later told national reporters that he does not believe Obama should be tried for treason.

"No, no, no, of course not," Romney said, according to the New York Times.

The Obama campaign criticized Romney for his initial silence and for not renouncing Yost's comments.

"Today we saw Mitt Romney's version of leadership: standing by silently as his chief surrogate attacked the president's family at the event and another supporter alleged that the president should be tried for treason," Obama spokeswoman Lis Smith said. "Time after time in this campaign, Mitt Romney has had the opportunity to show that he has the fortitude to stand up to hateful and over-the-line rhetoric, and time after time, he has failed to do so. If this is the 'leadership' he has shown on the campaign trail, what can the American people expect of him as commander-in-chief?"

"Yost's shameful words pathetically gloss over the strong leadership President Obama displayed when he took a significant risk in order to capture and kill one of the greatest threats to America," Redfern said in an email. "Because of President Obama, and the courage of the men and women of our Armed Forces, America is a safer place today."

The incendiary comments from Yost and the woman in the audience overshadowed an event designed to present Romney as a problem-solver eager to hear from middle-class Americans. Repeatedly he referred to people he has met on the trail, including a barber in his 70s who told Romney he cannot afford to retire because of poor investment returns.

"These have been tough years as you know," Romney said. "I've heard stories that will break your heart."

Romney took 10 questions from the audience. One man drew boos when he asked Romney about his foreign income tax payments. Other topics ranged from student loans to the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Asked by one woman what he would do on his first day as president, Romney responded: "First thing I'll do is take action to stop Obamacare in its tracks." His reply was a reference to the president's signature national health care overhaul -- one that Democrats often note is based on a program that Romney championed in Massachusetts.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.